Staff Spotlight - Laura Venezia PYP Coordinator

Laura has been teaching in early childhood classrooms for 13 years and has taught in schools in America, China and Hong Kong. This is her third year working at PIPS and her second as the PYP Coordinator. Laura has enjoyed working with the teachers across both campuses to continue building on and strengthening the teaching and learning that happens every day.  

What do you love the most about your job?

The thing I love most about my job is the time I get to spend with the children. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know all the children in the school. I can often be found in the classrooms discussing the units of inquiry with the children and watching them engage in provocations. It is always so fulfilling to see learning in action. When children have those ‘aha’ moments, you know that something amazing has happened!

What is the most important element in Early Childhood  Education?

The most important element in Early Childhood Education is play. Young children are full of wonder, questions, and ideas and play is their vehicle for knowledge. When children have uninterrupted time to play, they make new discoveries, connect their existing knowledge to new ideas, learn to solve problems, develop their social skill, and so much more! Play really is so important for young children and we need to foster that.

What is your favourite children’s book?

My favourite children’s book is "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak. I’ve always loved this story for the main character’s creativity and imagination. 

Any advice for the parents?

I have two pieces of advice for parents. First, the power of conversation is vital in the early years! Take every opportunity to communicate with your children and have those back-and-forth conversations. These rich interactions will set the stage for the rest of their lives. My second piece of advice is to let your child fail. We all want to see our children succeed, but it’s so important for children to understand that we don’t always succeed and they need to be prepared to navigate the emotions that come with that and discover what they can learn from those experiences. The most powerful thing parents can do—be a role model. Don’t just tell children it’s okay to fail, show them. Parents are a child’s first teacher, and what you do has a massive impact on how they deal with situations.

 "It is fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” – Bill Gates.